Entry doors for residences, business, and industrial facilities utilize entry doors of various designs. One popular design is a door designed with a window inset in the door. An entry door with a window often utilizes window trim in addition to the glass panel. In standard designs, two mating parts attach to oppose pieces of window trim. The first mating part attaches to the exterior window trim, holding the glass, trim, and the door slab together. The second mating part attaches to the interior window trim and locates and mates with the part attached to the exterior window trim.
Standard designs require external screws or other fasteners to secure the interior trim to the exterior trim. The use of external screws requires the use of trim plugs or other means to improve the aesthetic appearance of the interior trim. As trim plugs are painted and stained separately from the trim, this can lead to differences between the shade, hues, and glosses of the trim and trim plugs. Additionally, it is time consuming to prepare individual trim plugs for painting and staining.
It is also time consuming to install trim plugs during the door assembly process as one door may require up to 26 trim plugs. The trim plugs need to be installed carefully so that they properly cover the screw heads and that they attach to and blend in with the interior trim. Improperly fitted trim plugs can cause paint and/or stain chipping, marring or hazing, which leads to a potentially inferior finish to the door.
Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient connection system for entry door window trim. Specifically, there is a need for a plugless trim system that provides a better finish and is more aesthetically pleasing.